Valparaiso woman hung up on keeping the poor warm

By Cain Buchmeier

Post-Tribune|

Dec 10, 2018 | 6:00 AM

Valparaiso resident Kathy Welter talks about the many donations of winter coats, hats, gloves, and socks, that she has received as part of an effort to get warm clothes to the homeless and needy in Valparaiso. (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)

There’s more than just books at the Valparaiso Public Library. With winter coats, socks and other articles of clothing strewn across trees around the building, Valparaiso’s homeless population has another option to avoid the cold this winter.

Valparaiso resident Kathy Welter was browsing Facebook when she saw a post that inspired her to start the coat tree project.

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“This is my first year doing this,” Welter said. “I saw something on Facebook about this happening in Turkey, where my daughter lives, and I thought ‘I can do that.’”

While the outdoor portion of the project began Dec. 6, Welter said a coat rack inside the library has been up for about three weeks and she would like to continue the project until early February.

“I’ve probably given out more than 60 coats from the indoor tree, and at least that many socks. Socks are important for the homeless because they walk so much,” Welter said. “I’ll come a day or two later and they’ll be gone. Unfortunately the nicer coats sometimes go to people who don’t need them. A couple of women said there are no homeless people in Valpo, so I had to educate them on that.”

Katie Dugan, circulation clerk at the Valparaiso Public Library, said the project has had an immediate and noticeable impact.

“It’s been wonderful. The response from the community has been instant, and we have a lot of foot traffic here so the impact has been huge,” Dugan said. “We’ve been encouraging the community to donate and someone even brought in a big bag of hats.”

Coats, hats, gloves, and socks, placed by Valparaiso resident Kathy Welter for the homeless, hang from trees around the Valparaiso Public Library on Dec. 6, 2018. (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)

Welter said she began the project by donating two coats of her own, which was followed by an outpouring of donations began.

“I don’t even know most of the people who have donated, I’ll just end up with bags of coats at my door. People send me things from Amazon, too,” Welter said. “Most of the donations have been anonymous. I know the Faith Memorial Lutheran Church donated two giant bags, but otherwise it’s been individuals. I know a lot of groups gather coats and I’d like to work with them but I don't know how, but this is the season and a lot of people have been very generous.”

While hanging up a woman’s coat, Welter said a man asked her if he could try it on.

“I said ‘I think it’s a woman’s coat’ and his arms were too long for it, but he reached out a very dirty hand for me to shake and that was one of the more touching moments of my life,” Welter said. “Another man said ‘I got a nice coat off this’ and I asked if he needed any socks and he said ‘Not today’, so he didn’t take anymore than he needed. That instant gratification was just huge.”

Because of Valparaiso’s homeless population, Dugan said the project is a much needed resource for those trying to stay warm this winter.

“I think it’s more needed than most in the community realize. The need is great, I think this should have been going on for years,” Dugan said. “I’ve loved the outpouring of concern once people found out about, asking ‘Can I bring in jackets?’ I loved that.”

Welter said the project has so far surpassed her expectations, both with the community’s generosity as well as the need for such a project.

“(Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas) and the city council were very encouraging, and I appreciate their support and thank them for making this easy for me. It gives me a lot of joy, it really does,” Welter said. “My goal was not for this to be just me, (but to inspire others to donate as well).”

For those interested in donating, Welter said they can bring clothes to the library, hang them on the trees surrounding the library or drop them off on her porch at 1701 Crimson Drive in Valparaiso.

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Cain Buchmeier is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

Valparaiso resident Kathy Welter stands near clotheslines of winter coats, hats, gloves, and socks that she hung for the homeless and needy around the Valparaiso Public Library on Dec. 6, 2018. (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)